From the Individual to the System, We’re Making a Difference. AdvocacyDenver conducts advocacy at multiple levels and within various institutions that serve and impact individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities. Learn More →
Health Care Advocacy and Education | Providing active voice and supporting civil rights for people with disabilities
Gentle Memories of Ian Watlington
The disability community lost a fierce advocate and leader on September 12, 2026. It has been some 16 years since Ian worked as an advocate with ADVOCACYDENVER, but his legend lives on. We sometimes run into clients who remember about how Ian helped them find their voice, modeled how to navigate education, the workforce and community - how to realize equal access. Ian had an ability to blend fierce advocacy with warm humor and was a frequent keynote speaker at different education conferences. He would talk about his mom, her advocacy and his journey as a child and teenager with a disability. Audiences would laugh with him as he reminisced about his persistence to hang out with his friends on the hill behind the school as the first move to demand disability justice. Gentle memories of our colleague, friend, advocate, teacher, and leader, who taught us that true inclusion is about belonging in every part of life.
—Pamela Bisceglia
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AdvocacyDenver promotes and protects the human rights of people with disabilities and actively supports their full inclusion and participation in the community throughout their lifetimes. Learn More →
